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Jeep restomods a Grand Cherokee and hot-rods a Wrangler for Moab

These Easter Jeep Safari concepts raise the bar

April 3, 2017

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For the 51st annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, Jeep put together some of the coolest concept vehicles you’ll see hitting trails this year. Instead of sticking to the current production models, the folks at Jeep freshened up something vintage. While not as wild as, say, a CJ-2A, one of this year’s concepts is a restomodded 1993 Grand Cherokee.

The first Grand Cherokee, or ZJ, as avid Jeep enthusiasts call it, might not be everyone’s favorite Jeep, but it did lay the groundwork for future high-end SUVs. Dubbed “Grand One,” this ZJ’s name might even be a callback to the 1989 Concept 1, the Grand Cherokee’s auto show concept.

In true restomod fashion, Jeep kept the important Grand Cherokee styling cues intact but updated them for 2017. Jeep only lifted this jeep a couple of inches to clear a healthy set of 33-inch Goodyear KM2 tires. The wheels should look familiar –- Jeep took the factory “snowflake” style wheels and modernized them. The woodgrain, too, is a modern vinyl wrap, but it manages to stand out less than what left the factory. Under the hood is a stock 5.2-liter V8 engine that churns out 212 hp.

Unlike the Grand One Concept, Jeep’s Quicksand is a modern Wrangler stuffed full of nostalgia. The folks at Jeep say this hot rod-inspired Wrangler would be perfect for cruising the fairgrounds at a sand drag, but we think it would look great anywhere. Taking inspiration from traditional hot rods and vintage drag racers, this Wrangler looks nothing like its crawling companions. Jeep replaced the Pentastar V6 with one of Dodge’s 6.4-liter Hemi V8 crate engines. Custom valve covers, fender well headers and a Hilborn-style fuel injection makes this brand spanking new engine look like it was ripped from Big John Mazmanian’s Willys.

Furthering the retro styling, the crew chopped the hardtop 4 inches and eliminated the B-pillar. The parachute at the rear and the front-mounted Moon fuel tank hide a recovery rope and a Warn winch, respectively. The two fuel caps are custom units by Kirk Brown and push the competition theme over the top.

The last extreme custom headed to Moab on a Jeep trailer is a Wrangler with see-through doors, a translucent top and an Apple iPad stuffed into the dash. Dubbing it the Safari Concept, the team at Jeep wanted to bring as much of the outside into the cabin while keeping the passengers comfortable.

The four one-off doors are aluminum frames with full plastic windows keeping dirt and rocks out but letting light in. These would also be perfect for hitting a muddy trail without ruining your Sunday best. A translucent top fills the cabin with more fresh light, and it's also the launch deck for the rear-passenger controlled drone. The drone can be used to survey the trails ahead or just fly around at a picnic.

While the Safari is cool, we have to say we’d be fighting for the keys of the Grand One Concept or the Quicksand if we wanted to go somewhere on a Saturday night.

Check back after the Easter Jeep Safari for even more custom Jeeps, and maybe to see what it’s like to wheel some of these things.